I’m Not a Healer, Okay?

CHAPTER 1: The End and the Beginning (4)

“It looks like a pyramid. Is it because we’re in the desert?”

The massive structure that had suddenly emerged inside the gate was, indeed, shaped like a pyramid. Was there an ancient civilization hidden within this place? Or was it just mocking us?

Even the size was so grand that it was overwhelming.

“I guess that loud noise came from this.”

“…It’s certainly big enough for that.”

It would have been even more unsettling if something of this scale had appeared in complete silence.

“That looks like the entrance. It’s not too late to wait here, though…”

“I’ll just go in first.”

Tired of arguing, I left him behind and strode toward the entrance.

‘My mana is running low. That’s what worries me the most.’

But if I showed any weakness, he’d likely be even more insistent on me staying. So, I deliberately walked as if nothing was wrong.

Like before, he obediently followed behind me. I wasn’t sure if this was just him being stubborn. He persistently made reasons why I should stay behind, even though he never actually tried to force me.

“I’ll open the door.”

The closer we got, the more I realized its massive scale. The entrance was incredibly huge—easily large enough for an elephant to pass through. Given its size, there was no way I could open it with my strength or mana alone, so I gladly stepped aside.

Min Hajun pushed open the massive door effortlessly, the deep, resonant sound echoing through the space.

“Nothing seems to have triggered upon entry—at least for now.”

At his words, I turned sharply to look at him.

What? So, he thought there might be traps, and that’s why he went in first?

Oblivious to my irritation, Min Hajun casually brushed the dust off his hands.

“Please, just don’t die. And don’t get hurt either.”

“You could just heal me if something happens.”

“No, it’s not that simple—I don’t have the time to explain it. If you die, I can’t bring you to life again, so keep that in mind and be careful.”

“You’re trying to scare me.”

Despite my warnings, his confidence remained unshaken. It wasn’t arrogance—it was the certainty of someone who knew his own strength. That left me with little room to argue.

“Fine, fine. I won’t get hurt or die. I promise.”

Noticing the annoyance on my face, he raised both hands in mock surrender.

“You’d better keep that promise.”

If you die, I’ll kill you myself. I cursed him silently as I moved forward.

“Yes, yes, I’m famous for keeping promises. Shall we go?”

He retrieved the spear he had set down earlier and strode ahead. I tightened my grip on my dagger, keeping my entire body tense, ready to channel my skill at a moment’s notice. I had come here to save him, not to be a burden.

I wasn’t sure how long we had been walking, but with all the nerves, my stamina was draining faster. The thought of an enemy appearing at any moment consumed me. Perhaps sensing the rising tension behind him, Min Hajun suddenly stopped and turned around.

“It’ll be fine. I’ll protect you no matter what happens.”

As he said that, he conjured an ice shard. That’s when I realized I had been sweating.

“It’s hot, isn’t it? Maybe because the gate is in the desert. I can regulate my body temperature, but it must be tough for you.”

Appreciating his effort to calm my rising agitation, I unconsciously relaxed a little, took the offered ice, and spoke honestly.

“Thanks, but I’m fine—”

Before I could finish, Min Hajun suddenly grabbed me and yanked me toward him. A chilling sound sliced through the air just behind my head.

I reflexively turned my head to see what it was. It was a sharp blade, its tip bluntly wrapped in ice.

‘Crazy.’

The realization of how close I had come to death sent a cold sweat trickling down my back, instantly dispelling the heat.

‘…he even managed to freeze it mid-flight?’

Despite already pulling me out of harm’s way, he still used his skill to block the attack. It was an extremely thorough response, putting aside his reflexes and impeccable mana control.

“This place seems to attack after a certain amount of time. It’s dangerous—don’t stray too far from me.”

“I see. But could you unwrap your arm now…?”

“Oh, sorry.”

I was unintentionally pulled earlier and ended up completely trapped in his arms. Thanks to that, I avoided the knife, but… it was embarrassing to speak with my face against his chest, so I looked up, and there he was, so close I could see his fluttering eyelashes.

Even if I tried to leave, I wouldn’t be able to escape if he held me so tightly like this.

At my words, he flinched and released the arm he had wrapped around me.

I took a single step back and said, “Let’s move quickly. We don’t know what else might fly at us.”

“Right. I’ll cast a shield, so don’t stray too far.”

As he spoke, a dome of ice enveloped us.

‘Like a snow globe.’

The ice wall moved along whenever he moved, and I couldn’t even begin to imagine how delicately one would need to control it to make that possible.

With this kind of structure, it seemed unlikely that an attack from any direction would cause significant problems.

I took a moment to catch my breath and, just in case, lightly grasped Min Hajun’s sleeve as I moved. Since he was leading the way, his large frame blocked my view.

“What kind of place is this?”

“I don’t know either. This is the first time I’ve seen a gate like this…”

There wasn’t much information about where gates originated or what they were. Most information about them were just varying theory.

Some believed they were virtual spaces created by a system, while others theorized they were portals to another part of the universe.

It was a topic that was still being debated with various opinions. However, the only piece of information that was known to be accurate about this uncertain gate was that “There are no intelligent life forms inside the gate.”

Most of them were environments completely different from Earth’s, and even if similar, they were extreme environments like jungles, deserts, or glacial regions. Of course, communication with beasts was impossible.

So, encountering traces of civilization like this massive architectural structure was something I had never imagined.

‘If this becomes known to the world, it will cause an uproar.’

This will make it even harder to predict. I had already expected it to be no ordinary dungeon, considering this was the one where Min Hajun had died.

Tap, tap, thunk!

Weapons continued to fly at us. They merely fell to the ground after being blocked by the defensive wall. Refined iron and even traps?

This wasn’t the kind of thing monsters could create.

The once-glossy, smooth ice wall now bore numerous scratches.

“…This isn’t going to break, right?”

“It’s unlikely to break since I’m constantly reinforcing it. Though it did break once before, but that was when an S-rank monster attacked.”

“…”

“It was fire-type, so it had a bad matchup against me.”

The mention of it breaking once made me suddenly uneasy. I gripped my dagger tightly. Perhaps sensing my unease, Min Hajun kept turning his head back, saying, “No, really. You may not know, but I’m actually very strong.” His brows furrowed, looking genuinely aggrieved.

Look, just keep your eyes forward and walk. You’re the one holding the wheel.

At that moment, the atmosphere abruptly shifted.

The density of mana was so high it became hard to breathe.

Any hunter capable of manipulating mana could feel the intense concentration in the air.

I managed to exhale the breath I’d been holding. It was a fleeting moment, but—

“Get down!”

A dense mana wave transformed into fire, surging forward like a tidal wave.

Min Hajun covered my head, pulling me down completely. It happened so quickly that I couldn’t even blink as I was forced down with him.

A blazing red flame roared overhead. The barrier protecting us until now melted away in just a few seconds.

“…I’ll try to block it for a moment, so run to the left. See the alley next to you?”

“What are you talking about? We’re going together.”

Min Hajun started spouting nonsense again.

“This is too difficult to block while running. If we go together, we’ll both just die. This strong attack can’t go on endlessly, so we just need to endure for a bit.”

“Are you crazy? You know what happens if you die, right?”

At my words, he gave a cheerful smile. How could he be smiling in this situation?

“I told you, didn’t I? I’m really good at keeping promises.”

The range of the flames was getting wider. At this rate, we’ll both get burned to death.

“Now!”

He formed a massive ice wall in front. I could see the outer layer instantly melting. I stood up and ran with all my might. If this dungeon was meant to be cleared, there had to be a way! Surely, they wouldn’t have designed it for us to die here pointlessly?

The scorching air felt like it was roasting my lungs, but I kept my legs moving and barely managed to slip into the alley on the left.

Once I was outside the flames’ range, Min Hajun condensed the ice wall in front of him, making it thicker around his immediate area. The tensing of his jaw and the way he gritted his teeth showed how hard he was working.

I frantically looked around. Where was this attack coming from? If I could figure it out, I could surely find a solution. And then I saw it.

‘Over there!’

It had been obscured before, but now I could clearly see something red lodged across from us. The flames were definitely emanating from there.

‘With that amount of mana, it’s probably the gates’ core.’

The problem was that to get there, I had to pass through those flames again.

“Did you purposely set that up for me to go there?!”